Over 30-million people around the world rely on sign language to communicate, but there’s a language barrier when they try to talk to someone who doesn’t use or understand sign language.Roy Allelaknows first-hand how difficult it can be because his six-year-old niece was born deaf and it was a challenge for her to communicate with her family, who didn’t know sign language.

Allela was recognized for his game-changing invention by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers during their Innovation Showcase competition. He’s living proof that necessity is the mother of invention.